Naasir
Naasir — co-lead character with Andromeda in Archangel's Enigma. Character Introduction An elusive and mysterious "almost vampire" who is the most feral of the powerful group of angels and vampires called The Seven. We first meet Naasir in Archangel's Kiss. Naasir's book is Archangel's Enigma—the eighth in the series : From the Book Jacket: "Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia , now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients , Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required—those more common to predatory animals than to man. ..." About Species * Unknown mystery — only Raphael and Dmitri know. * Not exactly a vampire, though he does drink blood at times for nourishment. * the only one of his kind * He’d been born as well as Made . . . and he was mostly not a vampire.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 (see "Origin"s Section and "Events" section where the Spoilers are) Age * over 600 years Archangel's Enigma, ch. 18, p. 141 Allegiance *Raphael Group *The Seven Powers & Abilities Supe Powers & Supe Abilities: * His night vision was as good as his ordinary sight. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 * Ability to crawl on walls and ceiling using his claws. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 12 * Naasir could use the moon’s light to his advantage, his body a rippling ghost. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 13 * Incredible speed unseen in any other terrestrial being Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * Can alter his form: become a striped mirage, especially is the daylight.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * Can become like shadow. Unique Skills & Abilities: * Acute memory—inborn gift that came from the bloodline of the boy who was part of his self. * Unique tracking skills—more common to predatory animals (book jacket) * He has ability to grow claws and fur, has faint stripes on his skin and runs like a tiger—unseen and quick. * Born knowing how to swim.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 16 Skilled Qualities: * He is a being of stealth and shadow. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * perfect predator: Naasir was never where he should be, the combination of his speed and the fact that his body was lower to the ground, not to mention his natural camouflage. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * scout and tracker of unequaled talent, can get into places no one else can * Naasir has the qualities of a vampire; he drinks blood but also eats meat.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 3 * berserker fighter with a scary mind for battle, but has little sense of self preservation * untamed and lethal, with many subtle talents * cunning and vicious, with deadly speed and strength Weaknesses * his body needed time to “recalibrate”, wait for his heartbeat to settle and his senses to kick back in, after a full out run—his unstable state after a sudden full-strength burn was a design flaw according to Keir. His strengths made up for it. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * Technology doesn’t come naturally to him, but he’s learned all about technology from Illium. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 23 * Can't speak so well when in his other form. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 16 Occupation / Position * Warrior with the Seven * was stationed in Amanat to watch over the risen Caliane Habitat / Residence / Origins * He lives with Dmitri and Honor in NYC, considers them family.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * Has a room in the Tower that he never uses''Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * Assigned to the Tower. * Home: the Refuge—considers Jessamy family, too. * Has a special place near the Refuge in the forests that begin lower down the mountains built in the trees and opens out on all sides—Aodhan helped him design it; there’s a landing platform for winged friends and ladders he throws down for his vampire friends and a hammock of resuming. It’s warm because Illium hid small panels near it that catch the sunlight and release it at night.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 ''Archangel's Enigma, ch. 35 * Nature is more his natural habitat—often sent out on such assignments Character / Personality / Nature / Traits * had been feral and full of rage as a child * Naasir can put on the personality of a cultured, civilized person in a flash, like putting on anther skin—but it's natural on him.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 3 * Jessamy didn’t just tolerate him, she was willing to fight for him; she liked him.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * sometimes, you could win a fight without claws.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * Loves to play, make up games, especially with his mate. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 16 * He's not built for city environment—his nature was starting to rebel, to ache for open spaces where he could run and climb and explore.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * Has difficulties with grown-up or socially acceptable behaviors.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 3 Archangel's Enigma, ch. 16 * could be patient when it was needed, sometimes, he didn’t move for hours when hunting cunning prey.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 18 * has a pack mentality, protective of those he considers his * doesn’t do well cut off from the rest of the Seven * highly intelligent, but thinks differently than others * intensely feral and predatory, but sweet and almost innocent * views most others as prey * rich, cultured voice that can become a lethal growl without warning * treated as a beloved pet by the Archangel Caliane Physical Description * Rich brown skin tinged with gold and with faint stripes * Silver hair and silver metallic silver eyes that reflect like cats eyes. * Alter form: "his own skin"—striped mirage that anybody looking couldn’t quite focus on. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * Skin of a silvery white striped with black that made him all but impossible to spot in the glare of sunlight. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * Moves with a strange, liquid grace that almost appears boneless * Sneaky and strong and with the scent of a tiger on the hunt. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * Smells like a "tiger on the hunt". Wants in a Mate * A woman who knows me, understands what I am, and who wants to have secret rules with me.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 3 * His mate wouldn't alk him to wear a different skin wouldn't expect him to be normal.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 3 * He didn’t want his cub to have a mother who thought he or she was a savage. He wanted someone he trusted to love their child. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * Naasir smiled at seeing them. He would like to laugh a lifetime with his mate.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 18 Love Interests * Andromeda Connections * Adopted Father: Dmitri * Mother figures: Jessamy, Honor, * Spouse/Mate: Andromeda * Rescuer: Raphael * Male Mentors and Feeders: Dmitri, Raphael, Keir Archangel's Enigma, ch. 10 * NYC Adopted Family: Dmitri, Honor, Janvier, Ashwini, * Refuge Adopted Family: Jessamy, Galen * Friends: Janvier, Ash, Elena, Venom * Brothers of Choice: The Seven (his "Pack") * Partner at Amanat: Isabel * Partner on Mission to Rescue Andromeda: Jason * Maker: Osiris * Allies: many * Enemies: Osiris, Lijuan, Xi, * His nickname for Andromeda: "Andi" Other Details * Brought to Raphael’s stronghold as a 4 year old child. * Naasir has a fascination with feathers. Since a child, he has tried to touch the feathers on the wings of angels, though it's taboo and very bad manners. He still craves the touch of feathers longing to touch them, even Raphael's.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 * If Venom, Raphael, Janvier, and Ashwini hadn’t visited Amanat during the six months since he’d left New York, Naasir might have returned to his feral roots.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 * ripped out the throat and ate the heart and liver of the angel who made him.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 * Naasir had learned to ride motorcycles with Janvier after the machines first became fast and exciting. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 * to shield his glowing eyes in the dark—Naasir could make them not reflect, could also shield them with his lashes when he didn’t want to be seen. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 3 * Previous trips to Lijuan’s territory his task had been to take the temperature of the land, discern the mood of her people. He’d prowled in the shadows of villages and cities and he’d listened, then reported back. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * No one knew if he could reproduce, but Keir said there was no reason he shouldn’t be able to. What even Keir couldn’t tell him was whether he was biologically compatible with a female, mortal or immortal, vampire or angel. He never took lovers during that time when he was in heat. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * Took him longer to grow up than other immortals because he was different.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 11 * Listened to Andromeda intently—he liked listening to her tell stories of times long gone. He wasn’t bored by the history she held in her head and quite often said something that made her look at things in a whole new light.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 19 * "He loves nothing better than sneaking in and out of places.” ~ Jessamy Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * He didn’t mind the work at Amanat—he liked and respected his partner Isabel in the task Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * Janvier and Ashwini were playmates who understood the way his mind worked. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 * Astaad assited their escape from Lijuan's territory by sending a barge by vampires allied with him. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 21 * Caliane called him Raphael's "leashed tiger"—Naasir isn’t leashed, he simply chose to give his loyalty to Raphael, and Raphael understood that, their relationship wouldn’t otherwise be so strong.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 25 * Children liked him. They knew without being told that he wouldn’t hurt them. It didn’t matter if the child wore skin or fur or scales. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 33 * The sources of his two "skins": a white tiger and a boy. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 * He and Raphael rescued Aodhan when he was a badly injured young angel.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 35 * Naasir repeatedly gets glimpses of the book, a flicker of memory—of a small red book with a drawing in gold on the cover. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 35, p246 * abilities and origins known only to a select few * Origins Biography / History ✥ Naasir was created by Osiris using a white tiger cub and a young boy who he'd Made. Naasir was the only one of Osiris' experiments to live through the process and was taken in by Raphael after Osiris' death. He ate Osiris' liver and heart. Backstory ✥ The day Raphael had found him... Naasir had been a tiny boy then, and at that instant, he’d been feeding in the clawed open chest cavity of the Ancient angel who’d Made him. He must’ve looked like a small blood-covered monster, but instead of killing him, Raphael had lifted his growling, ferocious body into his arms and said, “Quiet. You don’t want to eat that meat.” He’d stilled and allowed Raphael to carry him into the clouds and to his home in the angelic stronghold of the Refuge. Not once since that day had Naasir felt the urge to challenge the male who’d taken him from the ice and from the evil. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 Childhood ✥ Nassir was brought to Raphael’s stronghold as a 4 year old child, he had been feral and full of rage. He was raised by Dmitri and they have a parent/child relationship growing up under Dmitri’s care and guidance. When Naasir was a child, he'd feed from Dmitri or Raphael or Keir. All three men were powerful that he'd only needed a sip once every two days. ✥ Naasir is around 600 and he has physically 'grown up' like a young angel would. Naasir sees The Seven as a pack and took some time to get used to Elena but now loves the partners of his brothers, especially Dmitri's wife, Honor, who he sees as a mother figure. School ✥ He was smart. Dmitri had told him that as a child when he’d refused to go to Jessamy’s school; the older vampire had found him sitting atop a high shelf in the stronghold library, arms folded and face set. ...He hadn’t known how to be like the other children, how to understand the words he’d seen Jessamy write on the board. ... “You’re clever,” Dmitri had said, hunkering down in front of him after ordering him down. “You have more smarts than many an adult.” ... “Then why do I need to study?” ... “Because it’ll give you another weapon.” Dmitri’s dark eyes hadn’t moved from his, the fact he was a far more dangerous predator calming to Naasir. No one could harm him or make him do bad things while he was in a family with Raphael and Dmitri. “Else,” Dmitri had continued, “others will be able to do things behind your back, have secrets you can’t unravel.” Naasir hated the idea of being shut out, so he’d gone to school. It had been difficult for him to stay still for long periods, but Jessamy hadn’t thrown him out, even when he climbed the wall to cling to the ceiling. She’d smiled instead and continued to teach and he’d learned his words. He’d even learned sums. And somewhere along the way, he’d made friends who liked to do wild, naughty things with him. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 Lessons from Dmitri and Others * That he was a real person and one that would be dearly missed if something happened to him. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 * He had more smarts than many adults. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * Education will give him another weapon so people can't keep secrets from him and abuse him. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9, p. 64 * Do not steal what only has value if freely given. Dmitri had taught him that he must never take what a woman didn’t want to give.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 15 * Wooing girls and women: Instead of bring raw meat to girls, start with the shiny things. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 15 * Keeping promises: “A man keeps his promises, Naasir.”, and by keeping them himself. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 16, p. 122 * * Others: * Mates have secret rules — Raphael Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 * Story of the Sleeping Ancestors. — Raphael Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 * He was worth fighting for, worth standing up for. — Jessamy Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * sometimes, you could win a fight without claws. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * Patience, and waiting even if someone you car about is being hurt—you can't help them if you are caught and killed. — Jason Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 * Courting: bring her gifts, do things that made her smile.Having watched others win and lose at courting, he knew the best gifts matched the person. — Dmitri and Honor and various friends. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 11 * Other Associated Characters, Groups, Places, Things, etc * Alexander * Jason * Sameon ~ "Sam" * Amanat * Caliane * Montgomery * Refuge * Venom * Sam * Dahariel * Jessamy * Galen * Lijuan * Suyin * Star Grimoire * Elijah (sent barges for their escape) Archangel's Enigma, ch. 21 * Tarek * Wing Brotherhood * Osiris * Chimera * Xi * Ancients * Sleepers Events in the Series If you want to avoid '''spoilers', think of the book title as a "Spoiler Warning" for books you have not read yet. The purpose of this section is to be able to find things in the series. Please use References''. 2. Archangel's Kiss 6. Archangel's Legion 7. Archangel's Shadows 8. Archangel's Enigma Raphael tasks him, with the help of Andromeda who is a scholar of the Ancients and Sleepers, with finding Alexander's place of Sleep before Lijuan who plans to destroy him.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 He meets Andromeda, who could be his mate at the Refuge.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2, p. 25 He rescues Andromeda who was kidnapped by Xi, and Suyin who had been prisoner for centuries from Lijuan's stronghold in China. Jason takes Suyin to Amanat.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 13-15 They trek out of the territory, getting to know each other.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 16, 18, 19 He sends Andi to fly to Amanat giving her his ring of safe passage through the gate, and the name of Isabel for a contact.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 21 He had called Isabel by satellite phone from the captain of the barge.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 23 They talk about Alexander and strategy for finding and waking him. The two are growing very affectionate and close.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 25 He learns about Ilium's fall and wakes Andi for comfort. They trek to the airport and fly to Alexander's home country, Persia. She tries to guess what he is, he gives her clues.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 27 In Alexander's homeland, the they look for his hiding place and discover a secret village with is the base for those that protect Alexander's place of sleep. Andromeda finds out that Naasir is Chimera while talking to Tarek, the leader of the Wing Brotherhood in the village. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 33 See Also * Full Reading List Book References for Above Content Quotes & Anecdotes : “You are a person.” The deadly vampire who was Honor’s mate had said that to Naasir when he was only a feral child. “You are Naasir. I’ll lose a piece of me if you die and it’s a piece I’ll never get back.” — Dmitri to Naasir as a child. Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 : “I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget to think like a human.” ... Shaking her head, Honor cupped his face in her hands. “You’re perfect exactly as you are,” she whispered with so much love that he felt as if he was being hugged. “I just don’t want you hurt.” — Honor & Naasir Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 : “I can’t be dragging around a historian. They break.” — Naasir Archangel's Enigma, ch. 1 : Be careful and don’t forget to wear your scarf. I also swapped out your socks for better ones and put gloves in the front pocket. ~ xo Honor ... He smiled and put on the bracelet before tucking the card carefully into an inner pocket. He wrapped the dark green wool scarf around his neck and lower face. ... “I’ll be careful,” he promised. “My mate is waiting for me.” ... He could almost hear Honor’s laughter. The last time he’d said that to her, she’d asked him a question. “What if she’s annoyed with you because you made her wait all this time? What then?” ... Naasir had been stumped for a while—“I’ll court her,” he’d said after careful thought. “I’ll convince her the wait was worth it.” Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 : Secret rules between mates. ... Like the secrets he’d have with his own mate once he hunted her down and growled at her for hiding from him. Or maybe he wouldn’t growl. He might just bite her instead.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2vilized.” — Naasir to Andromeda''Archangel's Enigma, ch. 4 : ...he found a tree, settled on a branch and went boneless. Dmitri had once discovered him in the same position as a child, called up to ask Naasir what he was doing. ... “I was sleeping!” Naasir had scowled at being wakened from his nap. ... Dressed in pants of a tough black material, boots, and with his upper body sweaty from a combat session against Raphael, Dmitri had raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you worried you’ll fall?” ... “No. That’s why I sleep like this.” He’d pointedly waved his arms and legs, which straddled the branch, hanging down below his prone body. ... “In that case, rest well.” ''Archangel's Enigma, ch. 2 : "You have secrets. You wear another skin, too.” . . . : “Cutting me after fooling me with your outside skin wasn’t nice. It wasn’t civilized.” — Naasir to Andromeda''Archangel's Enigma, ch. 4 : ...no one saw Naasir in the grasses when he didn’t want to be seen. He was a shadow, a striped mirage. ''Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 : "You must use the primal part of your nature in this. You must be cunning and stealthy and unseen.” — Jason to Naasir Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 : Naasir wasn’t dark inside . . . but he was alone. The only one of his kind in the entire world. He had friends, had family, but he had no one who was like him. Mating wouldn’t change that, but it would give him a person who belonged to him just as much as he belonged to her. And maybe one day, they’d have a cub and there would be another like him in the world. — Naasir's thoughts Archangel's Enigma, ch. 9 : “I didn’t look,” he repeated. “If I look, it’ll be because you invite me.” — Naasir to Andromeda Archangel's Enigma, ch. 15 : “He is a being of stealth and shadow; this is what he was born to do.” — The Primary Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 : “Don’t worry, cher, Naasir once got the two of us out of an alligator-infested swamp in the middle of a raging hurricane at night, and had fun doing it. He’ll be fine.” — Janvier to Ashwini and Elena Archangel's Enigma, ch. 20 : First he’d find Alexander, then he’d find the Grimoire. Because Andromeda was his mate and he wanted to claim her. She might not agree with him yet, but she smelled like his mate and she liked him in his true skin, and she was as fierce as his mate should be. He liked everything about her except her vow of celibacy. At least if he found the Grimoire, he could court her in truth. He wanted to seduce her, wanted to make her melt. Mostly, he just wanted to keep her.Archangel's Enigma, ch. 24 : "Your city is astonishing. For me, it's like it's like being shown a treasure box. But Naasir is meant of wilder places and less civilized adventures." — Andromeda to Caliane Archangel's Enigma, ch. 24 : “Two hundred years ago, I ventured briefly to another part of the world and met a learned man. He told me there were rumors of a living legend, of a chimera with silver eyes who is not one but two, asked me if I knew the origins of it, for only Alexander and Osiris had eyes of true silver and both were gone from the world.” — Tarek to Naasir Archangel's Enigma, ch. 33 : ...she pushed at his shoulders. “A chimera? And you couldn’t have told me? You pretended it was a ridiculous thing!” ... “The one in the legends is ridiculous,” he grumbled. “A lion with a goat’s head on its back? What idiot thought that up?” ... She glared at him, then blinked and shook her head. “You weren’t an ordinary tiger, were you?” she whispered, seeming to notice his secret skin for the first time. ... He realized at that instant that Andromeda saw him, regardless of the skin he wore. —Andromeda and Naasir Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 : Gentle fingers brushing over his chest, her honeyed skin dark against skin of a silvery white striped with black that made him all but impossible to spot in the glare of sunlight. “A white tiger?” An even softer whisper. ... He grinned as he allowed his usual skin to emerge. “It’s a good skin for daylight, but I don’t look ‘human’ when I wear it, so I normally wear my night skin.” One came from the boy. One from the tiger cub. Both belonged to Naasir now. — Naasir and Andromeda Archangel's Enigma, ch. 34 : The boy who is part of me grew up alone until the tiger cub. Osiris either stole or bought the boy when he was a baby. ~ Naasir to Andromeda Archangel's Enigma, ch. 48 Book References for Quotes ✥ Category:Characters Category:Vampires Category:The Seven Category:Lead Characters Category:Tower Category:Refuge Category:Amanat